After another dispiriting defensive performance, Oklahoma looks ripe for tough transition season in Year 1 under first-time HC Brent Venables
Thought the offseason, many, myself included, wondered if Oklahoma — a football powerhouse with a rich tradition of success in the Big 7, the Big 8 and the Big 12 — was truly recession proof after the program’s infrastructure and foundation was rocked by so much change this offseason.
Not in this economy, evidently.
For nearly 75 years, Oklahoma has mostly been good or really good, but Year 1 under Brent Venables looks like it could be a slog of a season after a second-straight dispiriting conference loss.
The Sooners were throttled on the road by TCU, with Venables’ defense getting cooked so badly they were trolled by the Horned Frogs’ social media account.
Sooners faithful swore all summer they were happy to trade Lincoln Riley, who bolted for USC, for their former OU defensive coordinator, so I’m sure it didn’t sting too much to see Riley’s little brother Garrett, TCU’s offensive coordinator and a name to watch for potential Group of 5 head coaching openings this offseason, call plays that torched OU’s defense for 668 yards and 55 points.
With dual-threat quarterback Max Duggan making plays with his arm (302 passing yards, three touchdowns) and legs (116 rushing yards, two touchdowns), TCU had scores of 73 yards, 67 yards, 62 yards and 69 yards. The Horned Frogs averaged 9.0 yards per pass and 8.8 yards per carry.
The Sooners couldn’t tackle or cover, with busts so bad it looked as if TCU was playing offense on Rookie mode in Madden.
“Guys were wide-ass open,” a visibly frustrated Venables said postgame. “We’re in 3-deep coverage, and nobody is in the same zip code.”
The Horned Frogs scored 27 points in the first quarter and were up 41-17 at halftime.
“Right now we’re going to find out who we are,” Venables told ESPN at the break. “We re going to find out who wants to play.”
The Sooners’ effort was slightly better in the second half, though it was still outscored 14-0 in the third quarter.
Oklahoma’s defense was the Kryptonite of Lincoln Riley’s College Football Playoff squads, but the unit looks as bad as it’s been in years in 2022, and that could be a real issue moving forward because its offense clearly needs quarterback Dillion Gabriel to operate at peak efficiency, too.
The former UCF transfer was knocked out of Saturday’s game in the second quarter on a vicious targeting hit by TCU linebacker Jamoi Hodge. Gabriel was 7-of-16 for 126 yards. His backup Davis Beville was also 7-of-16 but for just 50 yards. Without Gabriel, the Sooners never had a prayer of staging a comeback.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR OKLAHOMA?
Venables came to OU confident, but hardly cocky. He inherited a difficult job, especially considering close to 40% of the roster had never worn an OU uniform before the start of the 2022 season. But throughout the year he has routinely praised the “buy-in” and “commitment” from his players.
He’s mostly avoided the word patience, though. Maybe not anymore.
Here’s some perspective: Venables had Top 10 defenses in six of eight seasons at Clemson, but after two weeks in the Big 12, it’s clear that his pressure-based scheme is only as good as its personnel.
TCU exposed the Sooners’ lack beef and explosiveness on their front-7. OU was unable to pressure the quarterback or stop the run. Again. The inability to create havoc plays exposed a green secondary Saturday, with OU’s defensive backs either committed pass interference (including three PI’s in the first quarter) or galling coverage busts.
And that wasn’t even the worst of it for the Sooners. A week after allowing Kansas State to rush for 275 yards, the Sooners were manhandled or 361 yards on the ground Saturday.
Right now, Venables’ group doesn’t play with fundamentals or physicality.
“We’re not very good obviously right now. We have a lot to get better at. A lot to improve,” Venables said.
“We’ve got to give them answers and help get them better quickly. Things don’t get any easier for us.”
For the first time in close to a decade, Oklahoma wasn’t the preseason favorite in the Big 12, and that certainly looks like the smart call so far in 2022. Gabriel and a banged-up offensive line can only carry so much of the load.
The Sooners have now lost have lost back-to-back regular-season games for the just the second time since 1999, and the schedule doesn’t soften the rest of the fall.
It’s not a coincidence Venables’ mentor Bob Stoops had a tough transition season in Year 1 as a head coach, too.
In 1999, Oklahoma went 7-5. In 2022, the Sooners might struggle to even repeat that record with the way its defense is playing right now.
Texas, Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are all still on the schedule, and Venables’ first-year team could have its most frustrating fall in 33 years.
Although they weren’t favorites, The Sooners were expected to at least compete for the Big 12 this year. Instead, the rest of 2022 looks like a litmus test to see how far the program has regressed — and what that could mean for their future when they join the SEC.
“Talent doesn’t win games. Teams win games,” Venables said Saturday after OU’s 0-2 start in Big 12 play.
“We’re just not playing with great cohesion right now,” Venables said. “Giving up big plays on defense and turning the ball over, or just not being efficient on offense, are recipes for disaster.”
Unless Venables & Co., find answers quickly, then there’s more pain to come for the Boomer Sooner faithful.